Gas or vapor electric apparatus.



P. H. THOMAS.

' GAS 0R VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLxcATmN HLED DEC. 4A 1913, v

'Patented 06. l2, -w15.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

voltage.

liiitlill@ LEBCY H. THOMAS, OF 'UPPER Monronnra,

narrar nic.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T COOPER 'HEWTT ELEGTB'IC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATIQN OF NEVI J Specification ofl Letters Patent.

ira-tentes oet. is; isis.

@riginal application sled September 12, 1912, Serial No. 719,923. Divided anu this application` led December i, uns. sensi no, eclisse.

l, Pnnov THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Upper Montclair, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Gas or Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a specication. l

My invention relates to the starting and operating of mercury` vapor lampsand especially such lamps when proportioned to run in their normal light giving condition with relatively high temperature at the mercury electrodes. Such mercury vapor lamps are characterized by tightly sealed envelope containing mercury and exhausted of air and other foreign gases. Such lamps have peculiar characteristics of their own. 1When the mercury constituting the electrodes is cold, the pressure of mercury vapor is small and a very low voltage is suilicient to support the flow of current when once started, although high resistance to starting oi' current flow exists, as is well known. As the apparatus warms up the electrodes become Be it known that hotter and the pressure of the mercury va`n is higher and the por `within the container operating voltage rises, while the starting resistance Vbecomes less'. Thus the temperature at which the lamp finally steadies will he determined by the relative effectiveness of the heating and cooling means in the device as a whole, but more particularly as these elements eilect the temperature 'of the niercury electrodes. Since the heating elect will vary with change ci circuit voltages and to a certain extent with change of air temperatures, drafts, etc., the actual operating temperature of the lamp is likely to vary 'from time to time. This change in operating temperature will cause a considerable corresponding change in pressure and lOne object of my invention is to minimize these changes, as will be pointed out. Y

.in the drawings Figure l shows a form of 'lamp adapted to start without movementci the container and. Fig. 2 shows a circuit tor4 utilizing lamps olf' the character here proposed. n

Fig. i shows a device adapted to be started without the movement of the container r through the porous plug, 18 set inthe outlet.

thereby separating 'the tube l? and linally wherein` direct atmospheric pressure isad-'- mitted to each chamber 2, 2 Aat they top' air under pressure will serve to restrain the mercury itself from escaping from the bulb. ln this lamp, 17 is the light giving portion.; 6 and .7 are two starting electrodes and 18 is an additional connection adapted to cut out. the heating coil l5 after starting. in each of the chambers 2, 2, is present a body of' mercury covering the U shaped dip at the ends olf the tube 17'. The parts 9 are protecting floats, which serve to control the water hammer effect oi the mercury and to prevent overheating of the seals from highl temperature of the electrode surfaces.

The operation of this figure is as follows:

At thestart, al certain amount of atmcspheric pressure exists over'the mercury rlumns 25,

25, and the chambers 2, w rich force the mercury to till the tube 17 completely or at least so that the circuit is completed therethrough. When the generator 19 is excited a current flows through the coil 15, the electrode 6, through the mercury path in the tube 17, through the electrode 7 back through the other series devices 20, to the generator again. When thecoil is suiliciently hot, the mercuryrinlthe pocket 'lei lwill vaporize to some extent 'which willA cause a huohleftov appear at the top ofthe tube El?, the mercury into two parts. rihis separation'will 'sta-rt a iiow of y' This plug while emitting the passageof 1 current to the vapor .path which {iov/,of cur- I separation between the mercury columns inforce it down untilv at-.the equilibrium cape from the tube 17 into the chambers`2,

`2, which will be the stopping point of the increase in pressure as has already heen pointed out in connection with Figs. i and 2.

Meanwhile the mercury in being pressed back from the tube 17 is simultaneously con- 'rent will heat the electrode, increase they."

point vapor begins its esnected to the electrode i8 and the electrode 6 i thus cutting out the starting coil l5. Should it be necessary inlurther controlling the pressure regulating ieatures'ofeither 'or these'lamps, contractions or other means 03e. checking the transfer of heat `from "themenv cury electrode surface :trom the tube if 'rent it is desirable th the chambers Q may be employed. For example, a lioat such. as the float 9 can be used for the purpose. (,briously, it the heat is not conveyed in material'quantities through conduction from the tube l? tothe mercury in the chamber f betere vapor begins to escape from the tube l?" a more sharply delined limit to the maximum pressure attain able will secured. lf a suit-ably purilied mercury he used in this device and ilI the container be properly treated beforehand to A"adapted 'for use on either alternating'or direct current. llllien 'used on alternating curt in the device oit' Fig. lv the coil l5 lient top of the nieu cury columns inv the tubel' at very consider able temperature netore stz/uting the actual .flow of current .in the vapor. l

t is uncle? tood that while the devices shown have been described as lamps this invention 1s applicable to other forms of ap )aratus and aonlicant vvishes to cover his mvention in its broadest aspects.l

@ther materials than mercury may be used for the electrode material, it being; essential, however, to most of these lamps that the electrode material se liquid.

This auglication is a' division oi my ap'- plicaton Serial Number 719,923, tiled Septetmber 12th, 1912.

l claim as my invention l. A mercury vapor apparatus con'iprising central. inverted lol-shaped light-giving portion completely filled with mercury under nou-operating condition, a regulating chamber connected through a mercury trap with each end of the inverted Ufshaped portion, said chambers being open to the air,

means for forcing a separation between the columns of mercury 1n said U-shaped gortion and ineans for permit-ting the escape oi mercury vapor to said chambers against atmosplierlc pressure upon they attainingl of any' excess over normal pressure in the said central portion.

A mercury vapor lamp, comprising` a tubular light giving portion, atmospheric chambers on each end of said portion, mercury traps between each oit' said chambers and said light giving portion, means Jrior gen enr-ating a pressure in said lightgiving porn tion in excess oiI the pressure in said chainloers, said means including a suitable source olr current and connection to 'the interior of said la ip, and means located in said mercury traps for minimiZing,` the conduction oi heat l'rom the central light giving portion to the said chambers.

Signed at New York in the county oi' New York and Sta te o lf New York this 28th day out November D. 1913.

' PERCY H. 'lillOMilS Witnesses WVM. H. Garen, Tiros. lll. BROWN. 

